Rotary engine.



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WILLIAM S. MOSES, OF TRACY, MINNESOTA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedSept. 20, 1910.

Application filed December 2, 1909. Serial No. 530,967.

To all whom it may concern:

' citizen of the United States, residing at a Minnesota,

Tracy, inthe county of Lyon and State of have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to rotary engines.

. In rotary engines now in use a single feed is employed and when the piston has traveled 180, or a half revolution, the steam pressure laterally is unduly great and as a consequence, dislocates the piston shaft causing it to yield or spring to one side. As a result of such dislocation of the shaft the piston is caused to bear on one side of the casing thereby causing much friction and wear and causing a space to be left between the opposite side of the casing and piston which allows the steam to escape between the piston and cylinder. To these facts I attribute chiefly the reason why rotary engines prove unsatisfactory or unsuccessful. To overcome the defects above mentioned, I rovide a rotary engine wherein the steam is simultaneously fed to both sides of the piston, thus equalizing the pressure on both sides of the piston and nearly, if not entirely, doubling the power of the engine. In accomplishing this, the piston is made of approximately elliptical form in longitudinal section vto provide two piston heads, while two steam chambers and abutments are employed, being arranged at opposite sides of the engine in the line of rotation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an end \view of an engine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is also a similar view taken on line aa of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is an oblique section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 3;

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of the invention, 1 indicates the casing, which is mounted upon a base 2 of any suitable form, and 3 the rotary piston which is fixedly mounted upon the power shaft 4 and rotates within the casing. This piston comprises a body portion 5 of approximately elliptical form in longitudinal section, leaving the piston heads 6 at opposite sides of the body, the flanges 7 at opposite sides of and extending entirely around the body, and the steam spaces 8 at opposite sides of the piston between said flanges and said heads or body portion. The hollow roller abutments 9 are mounted in the steam chambers 10 at opposite sides of the casing and run in contact with the elliptical portion or body 3 of the piston, said abutments being held at all times in firm contact with the piston by the spring proj ected headed pins or rods 11, and the steam pressure. The casing is provided at opposite sides with the diagonally disposed inlet ports 12 and 13, and the exhaust ports let and 15, respectively, which communicate with the exhaust pipes 16 leading away from the casing. Each side of the piston is pro-, vided with a pair of oppositely disposed circumfercntial inlet ports 17 which open out into the steam spaces or channels 8 at opposite sides of the piston by way of the undercut cavities or recesses 18, the inlet ports 17 being of a length to feed steam for about half way of the lengthof the steam passages 8 so as to allow the steam to act expansively until the exhaust. The admission of the steam to the inlet ports 17 ofthe piston is by way of the inlet ports 12 and 13 and is controlled by diagonally disposed valves 19 and 20, having the segmental inlet openings 21 and exhaust openings 22. An auxiliary feed may be also provided, whereby the steam may be supplied to drive the piston or to furnish additional power for driving the piston. The steam is supplied to the steam chest 23 by the supply pipe 24 and the distribution of the steam is controlled by the rotary cylindrical valve 25 mounted in the steam chest. The rotation of this valve is properly timed with that of the piston and the means for rotating the valve is the same as thatshown in my Patent No. 901,813, patented October 20, 1908. In the present case, the valve itself is somewhat different, however, having the inlet ports 26 and the oppositely disposed openings 27 which simultaneously register and are brought out of registration with the supply pipes 28 leading from opposite sides of the steam chest to opposite sides of the casing at opposite points to supply steam to the passages 12 when the piston is to be driven in a ri.ghthanded direction. Branch pipes 29 extend from the pipes 28 to the abutment chambers 10 and to supply steam to the passages 13 when the piston is to be driven in the opposite direction, valves 30 being arranged in said branch pipes to control the passage of the steam. To drive the piston in a right-handed direction the valves 30 in the branch pipes 29 are closed and the valves 19 turned to bring their inlet openings 21 in registration with the inlet passages 12 when steam passes into the steam passages 8 at both sides of the piston between opposite ends of the'body of the piston and the abutments, driving the piston in a right-handed direction. Under these conditions, the valves 20 are turned to move their inlet openings out of registration with the passages 13 and to bring their exhaust openings in registration with the exhaust passages 15. When the piston is to be driven in the opposite direction the relative position of the valves 19 and 20 is reversed, as will be understood. From the foregoing it will be seen that the steam is supplied simultaneously to both ends of thepiston and not only is lateral strain 011 the power shaft obviated, but the power of the engine is nearly, if not entirely, doubled. From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention v 1. In a rotary engine, a cylindrical casing, apiston comprising a body portion of approximately elliptical form in longitudinal section leaving piston heads at opposite ends of the body portion, side flanges and steam passages on opposite sides of said body-portion between said flanges, said piston also having a pair of circumferential inlet ports at each side, having undercut cavities or channels leading to the steam passages, roller abutments mounted at each side of the casing and working against-the elliptical body portion of the piston,'means for feeding steam to the circumferential ports ateither side of the piston heads, and means for con- .trolling the exhaust of the steam.

of the body portion, side flanges and steam passages on opposite sides of said body por- -t1on bet-ween said flanges, said pistonalso having a pair of circumferential inlet ports at each side having undercut cavities or channels leading to the'steam passages, roller abutments mounted at each side of the casing,

and working against the body portion ofthepiston, means for feeding steam to the cir-' cumferential ports at eitherside of the pis-- ton, means for controlling the exhaust of the steam, and resilient means for holding-the abutments in contact wit-h the body portion of the piston.

3. In a rotary engme, a cyllndrlcal casing,

a piston comprising a body portion of ap-,

proximately elliptical form in longitudinal section leaving piston-heads at opposite ends of the body portion, side flanges and steam passages on opposite sides of said body portion between saldflanges, said piston also having a pair of circumferential inlet portsat each side having undercut cavities or channels leading to the steam passages, roller abutments mounted at each side of theoasing and working opposedly against the body portion of the piston, means for feeding steam to the circumferential ports at either side of the piston, means for controlling theexhaust of the -steam, and springprojected' pins for holding the ab-utments in contact with the bodyportion of the piston.

4. In a rotary engine, a cylindrical casing,-

a piston comprising abody port-ion of .ap proximately elliptical form in longitudinal sect-ion leaving piston heads at opposite ends of the body portion, side flanges and steam passages on opposite sides of said body por tion between said flanges, roller abutments mounted at opposite sides of the'casing and working opposedly against the piston, meansfor simultaneously feeding steam to both steam passages at opposite sides of the piston, means for controlling the feed and exhaust of the steam and spring projected: means for holding the abutments-in'contact with the piston.

In testimony whereof I-have-hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM S. MOSES;

l/Vitnesses J. A. RIOKERT, S. F. NELSON. 

